Science-backed ways to hack your Tinder profile and get the most matches possible

If someone’s ever told you they don’t use Tinder because it’s too superficial, ask them how they decide to flirt with someone at a bar.

Whether you’re doing it on a smartphone screen or in real life, the strategy is strikingly similar: You check the person out — what they’re doing, what they’re wearing, who they’re with.

But there’s a lot more science bound up in that momentary glance than you might think. There are a few main things we look for when we’re sizing up a potential date. And you can take advantage of them with these tips.

Include a few photos of yourself with friends to show off your social skills.

While most people say you should be alone in your main profile photo (no one wants to guess who you are in the three seconds they will probably spend looking at your photo), your other images might include friends or family.

If you're alone in all of them, you might send a message that you prefer to spend your time solo. If you're surrounded by friends, on the other hand, you signal to viewers that you've got an outgoing personality.

Men, grow some facial hair if you're looking for a short-term partner.

In experiments with straight women in which researchers asked them if they were more interested in a longterm relationship or a one-night stand, women who just wanted sex preferred the men with more masculine faces -- chiselled cheekbones, a stronger jaw line, and more facial hair, for example. Those who were looking for a lifetime partner, on the other hand, tended to prefer men with softer features.

Women, show off a pout.

The same study that found that straight women who just wanted sex preferred the men with more masculine faces found that straight men typically prefer women with features researchers identify as being more feminine -- bigger eyes and fuller lips but a narrower chin and a less angular jaw. That finding held steady regardless of the kind of relationship the men were looking for.

Don't sweat it if you don't get a ton of matches in the first few minutes.

Research shows that Tinder users log into the app an average of 11 times a day! Plus, they spend between 7 and 9 minutes swiping left and right (either saying 'yes' or 'no' to a potential match) during a single session.